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SSL Certificates

SSL Certificates

About SSL certificate?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a global standard security technology that enables encrypted communication between a web browser and a web server. It is utilised by millions1 of online businesses and individuals to decrease the risk of sensitive information (e.g., credit card numbers, usernames, passwords, emails, etc.) from being stolen or tampered with by hackers and identity thieves. In essence, SSL allows for a private “conversation” just between the two intended parties.

To create this secure connection, an SSL certificate (also referred to as a “digital certificate”) is installed on a web server and serves two functions:

It authenticates the identity of the website (this guarantees visitors that they’re not on a bogus site) It encrypts the data that’s being transmitted

Benefits of SSL Certificate

Want to know why SSL is essential? Here are our 5 key reasons.

Is SSL important? Do I need SSL? Do I need to fasten the seatbelt while driving? Do I need to put on protective eyewear while watching the solar eclipse? As far as the first three questions are concerned, the answer is a big ‘YES’!

If you own a website or a blog in 2021, you need SSL. It’s as simple as that. An SSL certificate is no longer a luxury; it’s an out and out necessity nowadays.

Here are the five key benefits of using an SSL certificate.

1. SSL Protects Data

The core function of an SSL certificate is to protect server-client communication. On installing SSL, every bit of information is encrypted. In layman’s terms, the data is locked and can only be unlocked by the intended recipient (browser or server) as no one else can have the key to open it. While dealing with sensitive data such as IDs, passwords, credit card numbers, etc., SSL helps you protect against the mischievous army of hackers and skimmers. As the data is turned into the undecipherable format by SSL, hacker’s skills prove to be an edgeless sword against the unsurpassable encryption technology of SSL certificates.

2. SSL Affirms Your Identity

The second primary task of an SSL certificate is to provide authentication to a website. Identity verification is one of the most important aspects as far as web security is concerned. There is no doubt about the fact that the internet is increasingly deceptive. In 2009, There have been cases in which people have lost thousands of dollars on fake websites. This is where SSL certificate comes into play.

SSL helps users drive to your real website, saves users from frauds and enhances your reputation.

3. Better Search Engine Ranking

In 2014, Google made changes to its algorithm in order to give the upper hand to HTTPS-enabled websites. This has been evident in various studies conducted by SEO experts around the world. One such study conducted by Brian Dean, founder of Backlinko.com shows a strong correlation between HTTPS and higher search engine rankings.

Who doesn’t want to be on Google’s first page, right?

4. SSL Helps You Satisfy PCI/DSS Requirements

If you accept online payments, you must know a thing or two about PCI/DSS requirements. To receive online payments, your website must be PCI compliant. Having an SSL certificate installed is one of the 12 primary requirements set by the payment card industry (PCI).

Therefore, SSL is essential—whether you want it or not.

5. SSL Improves Customer Trust

If it were up to us, we’d have renamed SSL (Secure Socket Layer) to TTL (Trust Transmitting Layer). Fortunately, it isn’t. But that won’t stop us from singing the praises of a TTL —err, SSL certificate. Apart from encryption and authentication, SSL certificates are vital from a customer trust point of view. The easy to identify signs inform the users that the data they send will be secured. And if you’ve installed an OV or EV SSL, they can see your organization’s details. Once they know that you’re a legitimate entity, they’re far more likely to do business with you or even revisit your site.

Google Makes SSL Mandatory in 2018

To give a safer web browsing experience from 2018 onwards, Google has decided to flag the websites which do not have an SSL/TLS Certificate installed on their website. If anyone fails to comply with this rule, all the popular web browsers used around the globe like Google Chrome & Firefox Mozilla will punish them by giving a warning message of ‘Not Secure’ on the URL bar. It could be possible that in near future website may even get blocked to load on the browser. No matter which website you have, from a personal blog to any shopping portal SSL is mandatory and by not following with it may result in loss of visitors which is not something a website owner would like to face.

Wrapping Up

How safe would you feel if your browser warned you about a website being “not secure”? Because that’s what will be shown in the upcoming version of Chrome if you don’t have an SSL certificate. Do you want that? Of course, you don’t.

Features of SSL Certificate

A SSL Certificate provides various types of features such as Safety and convenience, Server authenticity, Automatic Client Authentication, & Extensibility.

Safety and convenience: SSL creates a secure connection between a client machine and a server on which the site is hosted. This connection needs no participation by the machine operator.

Server authenticity: SSL authenticates the server to ensure that the client is talking to the correct computer.

Automatic Client Authentication: A machine user can authenticate to an SSL-enabled server using the users own public key pair, if the server is set up to accept it.

Extensibility: SSL can use most encryption algorithms and hashing algorithms. The client and server can automatically choose the best algorithms from those they both support.

Note: Users aren’t required to own a Dedicated Hosting server to get an SSL Cert. installed, but one can use it for your websites hosting on Cloud Hosting, Cheap VPS Hosting, WordPress Hosting and all our Affordable Web Hosting services.

Why SSL Certificate

Who may need an SSL certificate?

Any individual or organisation that uses their website to require, receive, process, collect, store, or display confidential or sensitive information.

Some examples of this information are:

  • ◉ logins and passwords

  • ◉ financial information (e.g., credit card numbers, bank accounts)

  • ◉ personal data (e.g., names, addresses, social security numbers, birth dates)

  • ◉ proprietary information

  • ◉ legal documents and contracts

  • ◉ Client lists

  • ◉ medical records

 

FAQ of SSL

What is the meaning of SSL?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is one of the standard security protocols used by millions for establishing an encrypted connection between a web browser and a web server while preventing cybercriminals from reading and modifying any transaction done between them such as the transmission of sensitive information like credit card while doing online shopping. It ensures that all the data passed between the web browser and web server remains private and secured.

What is SSL TLS certificate?

TLS (Transport Layer Security) the successor protocol and an improved version of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). It works similar to SSL using encryption for protecting the transmission of data and information.

Moreover,SSL Certificates are one of the digital certificateswhich prove that the identity of the websites is authenticated and all the information sent to SSL installed website will stay encrypted with the help of SSL/TLS technology.

How does an SSL work?

Whenever a user visits a secured website, an SSL/TLS Certificate installed on it offers identification information regarding its web server and creates an encrypted connection. Furthermore, all of this process is done within a second.

Let’s seehow does an SSL work?

  • ◉ Web browser or server tries to connect with the server of a website secured with an SSL/TLS Certificate and make a request to a web server for identifying themselves.

  • ◉ Copy of a web server’s SSL/TLS Certificate is sent to the browser or server.

  • ◉ Once the browser/server receives it verifies whether to trust the SSL/TLS Certificate and then sends a message to the web server.

  • ◉ The web server sends back an acknowledgment in a digitally signed format for starting an SSL encrypted session.

  • ◉ Now, the access is granted to share encrypted data between the web server and the browser/server.

 

Do I need SSL?

Yes. If you have a website, SSL is needed. Earlier, it was okay to have an SSL only for the website which was collecting information from the user. But after Google’s update regarding SSL, it is needed no matter what type of website you have, whether you collect the information or not. Even a simple blog will also display a “Not Secure” if the SSL is not installed on it.

How safe is SSL?

SSL/TLS Certificate installed on the website means it helps to secure the data transferred between the visitor and a website and vice-versa. Though one thing has to be noted that, it doesn’t mean the information on the server is secured, as once the sensitive data reaches the server it’s up to the admin on how to keep it safe for example, encryption of database.

In other words, HTTPS means HTTP is sent over an SSL encrypted connection which covers GET & POST with other HTTP actions while keeping it safe and unaltered as all the data is passed via an SSL tunnel to the client browser.

Which layer is SSL used?

The SSL protocol is implemented around the HTTP protocol, whereas in the OSI model, it’s usually implemented in an application layer, but again strictly, it is in the session layer.

While in the OSI model, it’s something like:

  • ◉ Physical Layer such as Wi-Fi or Network cable

  • ◉ Data link Layer like Ethernet

  • ◉ Network Layer like IPV4

  • ◉ Transport Layer (TCP)

  • ◉ Session Layer like SSL

  • ◉ Presentation Layer

  • ◉ Application Layer like HTTP

 

What is TLS vs SSL?

Both TLS & SSL are protocols used for sending data over the internet securely. Though there’s a minor difference between them, still TLS and SSL are considered as a different standard. TLS (Transport Layer Security) is an advanced version of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which uses stronger encryption algorithms and also has the ability for working on different ports. Furthermore, TLS versions do not work in conjunction with SSL version 3.0.

What is SSL used for?

Put simply, SSL is one of the security protocols used for establishing a secured connection between a web browser and the web server, which ensures users that all the data passed between a web browser and web server remains integral and private.

In other words, SSL certificates are one of the small data files which are digitally bound cryptographic key with an organization’s details. Usually, it is used for securing sensitive transactions over the internet such as transactions made with a credit card or online banking, login credentials and more.

What's more secure SSL or https?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the security protocol used for establishing a secured connection between web-browser and the webserver. It’s one of the industry security standard protocol, which is used by many websites for securing the online transactions of the clients. On the other hand, HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer), works as a sub-layer under the HTTP application layering. Here, HTTPS encrypts the regular HTTP message before sending and decrypts a message during its arrival.

Why SSL is important?

The main reason to use SSL is to encrypt and secure sensitive information sent over the Internet, so only the recipient who is intended can have access to it while making it unreadable to any third-party in-between. As any information sent over internet pass through various computers before reaching its destination server, ultimately making your sent information such as credit card details, login credentials vulnerable to attacks, if it’s not encrypted with an SSL certificate. Additionally, SSL is important because it provides:

  • ◉ Authentication:Provides surety that the information is sent to the right server and not any fraudster who is trying to steal data.

  • ◉ Trust:Visual trust indicators such as a green bar or a lock icon are displayed on the popular web browsers like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, letting your website visitors know about your genuineness.

  • ◉ PCI Compliance:Pass the audits and satisfies the requirement of the Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards, which are needed for any website which accepts credit card details.

 

What type of encryption does SSL use?

SSL/TLS Certificate works on RSA Asymmetric Encryption and Symmetric Encryption. Where Asymmetric Encryption helps to establish a secure client-server session and Symmetric Encryption for exchanging information securely over the already established secured session, also called as “SSL Handshake.”

The Cost of an SSL Certificate

The cost of an SSL certificate will depend on your website’s hosting provider, who they buy the certificate through, and the type of certificate they buy. There are three types of SSL certificates:

Single Domain – This type of SSL certificate is only valid on one domain URL.

Multi Domain – Also known as a Universal Communication Certificate (UCC) this secures multiple domain names and multiple host names within a domain name. You can set a primary domain and then add up to 99 additional Subject Alternative Names (SANs) in a single certificate. This is great for businesses with multiple sub domains and URLs for different services, product lines or geographic locations.

Wildcard – This type of certificate is for securing all of the subdomains you may have for a single domain.

When selecting your SSL Certificate, it’s best to consult with your web host, marketing agency, or IT department to make sure you’re selecting the right option for your entire business